Counting mechanism



oda 19, 1943. H. N. Buss 2,331,884

COUNTING MECHANISM @Wij/@MQW :www

Oct 19, 1943- H. N. Buss 2,331,884

GOUNTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1Q-357 if /0 ,fal

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Patented Oct. 19, 1943 COUNTIN G MECHANISM larvey N. Bliss, Windsor, Conn., assigner to Veeder-Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationA January 29, 1941, Serial No. 376,501

8 Claims. (Cl. 235-131) The present invention relates to counters and more particularly to counters of the type comprising a plurality of successively higher order wheels and wherein the lowest order wheel is advanced step by step by ratchet drive means and the movement of the lowest order Wheel is l An object of the present'invention is to pro-A vide a counter overcoming the aforementioned objections by including means for preventing overthrow of the lowest order wheel during a counting operation by positively limiting it to a step by step advancement. Inasmuch as the higher order wheels will only advance after a predetermined advance of the lowest order wheel, by controlling the lowest order wheel a correct count is assured.

A still further object is a counter of the aboveindicated type which is characterized by its simplicity of constructioi, ease and economy in assembly and manufacture, and accuracy of operation.

Other objects-will be in part obvious and part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exempliiied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a counter embodying the invention herein with a portion of the casing broken away to show the drive means and adjacent order wheel;

Fig. 2 is a front view with thecasing in section to show the drive means;

Fis. 3 is an end view of the drive means as seen with'the right-hand `end of the casing removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the drive means and adjacent order wheels with the parts partially in section;

Fig. 5 is an end view similar to Fig. 3 and with portions of the drive means removed to show the non-back-upholding means;

Fig. 6 is a reverse view of the portion of the drive means shown in Fig. 5; l

Fig. 7 is an end view oi the drive means showing same in one of its extreme positions;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the drive means in the other of its extreme positions;

Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, are detail views of the numeral wheels; and

Fig. 12 is a view showing the relative positions of the drive means ratchet wheels and drive pawls uponv tendency of the drive means to overthrow.

Referring to the drawings, the counting unit comprises generally a casing l0 in which there is housed indicating means I2 comprising a plurality of successively higher order numeral wheels Ila to Ile rotatably mounted on a reset shaft I4 journalled in the casing I0. There is further journalled in the casing a drive shaft I6 adapted upon oscillation to operate a ratchet drive means I8 for imparting step by step advancement in a counting direction to the lowest order wheel of the indicating means.

More particularly, the casing I0 comprises a base plate 20 having an integral, inverted U- shaped supporting frame 22 and removable side closures 24. As indicated, the supporting frame 22 includes vertical legs 26 positioned adjacent the ends of the base plate and centrally of the side edges and having their upper ends interconnected by a top cross member 28. The cross member 28 has cut centrally thereof a window 30 whereby the indicating means l2 may be read.

To cooperate with the base plate 20 and frame 22, the side closures 24 are of mutilated boxlike structures having a side member 32, top member 34, and end members 36. The closures 24 lare of such size that the inner edges of the side and top members abut against the U frame 22, whereas the bottom edges of the side and end members rest on the base 20. To accurately align and position the side closures on the base, the upper face of the closure top member 34 terminates in a corner recess 38 to provide a projecting lip 40 receivable beneath the top cross member 28 and the vertical legs 26 of the frame 22 having inner corner recesses 42 into which the forward ends of the closure end plates may extend. The inner face of each closure side member 32 carries an arm 44 extending inwardly from its lower-edge and positioned intermediate of the ends thereof; the arm 44 being provided at its inner end with a threaded opening alignable with an opening ln the baseplate 20, whereby' upon the insertion of a suitable screw 46 the side closures will be rigidly secured to the base and the entire casing completely assembled as a unit.

The central U frame 22 further functions as a. main support for the indicating and drive means, and for this purpose legs 26 are provided with aligned openings 48 in which the counter numeral wheel supporting and reset shaft I4 is journalled. Below and in vertical alignment with the openings 48, the leg members 26 are provided with a second set of aligned openings 52 in which the drive means operating shaft I6 is journalled; this shaft being of such length that it extends outwardly and through the left leg 26, whereby it may be connected by suitable linkage to the mechanism from which the count is to be taken. The reset shaft I4 not only supports the indicating means I2, but cooperates with drive shaft I6 to support the drive means I8, and both the drive means and the numeral wheels are positioned between and held against longitudinal movement by the vertical legs 26, with the drive rreans mounted adjacent the lowest order wheel Referring now to the ratchet drive means I8, it includes a hub 58 rotatably mounted on the reset shaft I4 and having a pair of diametrically opposite lugs 60 extending laterally toward and receivable within recesses 62 provided in the adjacent face of the lowest order wheel I Ia, whereby, upon rotation of the hub, thewheel will be simultaneously rotated. Mounted on the periphery of the hub 58 is a ratchet wheel 64 having a plurality of substantially square-cut teeth 66 spaced by generally square-cut recesses 68 which is to say the wheel 64 has circumferentially spaced apart recesses or notches 68 the leading and trailing edges of which are generally radially.

disposed. This ratchet wheel is integral with the hub and constitutes a driving member for the hub and the lowest order wheel.

Also mounted on the hub 58 adjacent the ratchet wheel 64 is a second ratchet wheel 10;

this second ratchet wheel being freely rotatable on the hub 58. The ratchet wheel 10 has circumferentially spaced apart triangularly shaped recesses or notches the leading edges 16 of which are generally radially disposed and the trailing edges 15 of which are inclined outwardly.,

and rearwardly. More particularly, in the present instance, the ratchet wheel 10 has a plurality of teeth each comprising a square portion 13 equal in size and number to the teeth 66 of the ratchet wheel 64 and a triangular portion 14 having a camming incline 15 extending from the base of the vertical rise 16 of one square portion to the peripheral edge of the next succeeding square portion. With the ratchet wheel so constructed, when the teeth of ratchet wheel E4 are in alignment with the square portions of the teeth of ratchet wheel 10, the camming incline 15 also extends from the base of one tooth of ratchet wheel 64 to the peripheral edge of the next succeeding tooth and functions, as will hereinafter be apparent, as a release for the ratchet wheel driving pawl-18. A

In order to cooperate with the ratchet wheels 64 and 10, the driving pawl 18 carries at one end a substantially square-cut tooth 19 and is pivoted at its opposite end on an arm 80 pivotally mounted on the reset shaft I4. The pawl 18 is normally urged into engagement with the ratchet wheels 64 and 10 by a spring 82 xed at one end to the arm 80 and having its other end biased against the free end of the pawl 18., As best seen in Fig. 4, the end width of tooth 19 is suchthat it straddles both the ratchet wheels, and, as best seen in Fig. 3, its side width is less than the spacing between the square teeth of ratchet wheel 64, whereby the tooth will normally rest on the camming incline 15 of ratchet wheel 10 but within the peripheral edge of ratchet wheel 64. With this arrangement; upon pivoting arm Il in a counterclockwise direction, the drive pawl 18 will advance both ratchet wheels, whereas upon reverse pivoting of arm 80 the pawl will be cammed out of the recess between the ratchet wheel teeth by the cammed incline 15 of the wheel 1l; the wheel 10 being held against clockwise rotation by the non-back-up pawl 92 subsequently described. During the registering operation, the arm is oscillatedabout the reset shaft I4 by the drive shaft I6 acting through a toggle 84. The toggle has a long link 88 (see Figs. 3, 7, and 8) xed to the drive shaft by a pin 90, and a short link 86 the opposite ends of which are respectively and pivotally connected to the long link 88 and the arm 80.

With this construction, upon oscillation of the drive shaft I6 the toggle will be successively straightened out and then broken, whereupon arm 80 will be pivoted on shaft I4 and the drive pawl 18 operated alternately in a counting and 'non-counting direction.

Also cooperating with the ratchet wheels 64 and 10 is a non-back-up pawl 92 terminating at its free end in a ratchet wheel engaging tooth 93 and pivotally mounted at its opposite end on a. transverse shaft 94 carried by spaced standards 96 extending vertically from the base plate 26. The pawl 92 is normally urged into engagement with the ratchet wheels by a coiled spring 98 mounted on the shaft 94 and having one end fixed behind the standard 96 and the other beneath the pawl 92 beyond the pivot point. The tooth 93 of the non-back-up pawl, in like manner *to the tooth 19 of the drive pawl, has an end width such that the pawl straddles both of the ratchet wheels and a side width such that the tooth normally rests on the camming incline 16,

whereby, upon advance of the ratchet wheels inl a counting direction, the non-back-up pawl will be cammed out of holding engagement.

The drive means not only operates the counter in the manner heretofore described, but during a driving'operation positively prevents overthrow of the lowest order wheel. As will be apparent,

`when the drive pawl 18 is moved in a direction to tending edge of the drive pawl tooth 18 to thus retain ratchet wheel 64 against further turning (see Fig. 12). Inasmuch as ratchet wheel 64 is positively connected to the lowest order wheel, the lowest order wheel is likewise held against overthrow. The tendency to overthrow will not, however, be transmitted to the lighter ratchet wheel 18, for the latter, being loosely mounted on the-shaft, will be held in relatively fixed position by the strength of the drive and retaining pawl springs 82 and 96; these springs overcoming such inertia as may have been built up within the i assassin menetwneei 1i. "n n likewise sppmntmt -th'e aforementioned faction will resultif an attempt is made to overthrow the lowest numeral wheel relative to the drive means and without operating; the latter. Thus vthe pawl 10 and ratchet wheel are normally interlocked, pre'- venting rotation of the ratchet wheel relative to the pawl, except when the latter is pomtively released-as the pawl 10 is moved in a non-counting the lower end of thelong toggle link 30 terminates' in spaced stops |00 and |02 respectively adapted to abut at the limit of each stroke against stops |04 and |05 provided integral with the base plate 20. In this manner, the throw required for a return stroke of the pawl 10 may be increased from a minimum, where the toggle link is in the position shown in Fig. 3A, to the maximum shown in Fig, 'l and, for an operating stroke, the throw may be increased ,from the pointwhere the center line of the links of thetoggle are in augment to the maximum position shown in Fig. 8 where the toggle is broken to the other side of center.

As the counter shown is of the reset type, there is utilized counting wheels ||a to ||e of the type shown in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, which wheels are preferably made of plastic material. As seen, each order wheel comprises a wheel member |03 having a hub carrying a radially extending ilange J|0`| supporting at its peripheral edge a laterally extending flange |00 upon which the indicia zero to nine may be provided. Adjacent the indicia carrying portion of the flange |00 the flange is reduced to provide a locking shoulder |0 having a single notch ||2 in alignment with a two-tooth driving gear I|4. In addition. the inner face of the flange |01 is provided with a recess ||0 terminating at one end in a rounded portion |20 for receiving therounded bese |22 of a reset pawl |24. The free end of the pawl is normally pivoted through a slot |23 in the hub |05 and into contact with thereset `shaft I4 by a U-shaped spring |20 disposed between the pawl and the base of the recess H0. Cooperating with the wheel member |03 of each order wheel unit is a driven member |20 rotatably mounted on the hub |05.

The driven meinber m includes a twenty-toom driven gear |30 of substantially the same diameter as the wheel and a disk portion |32 which nts within the anmuar cavity defined by the lateral flange |00 and the hub |05. The inner face of the disk portion |32 is formed with a pair of parallel guideways |34 each disposed at right angles to a diameter of the driven member so that the grooves are located on chords equally spaced to opposite sides of the center. The grooves extend entirely across the face of the disk and are provided with spaced lugs |36 symmetrically positioned to either side of a diameter at right angles to the groove. Located within each groove is a driving pawl |30 which, in the embodiment illustrated, comprises a metal stamping bent to substantially c form to provide opposed nose portions |30 and |4|, whereby it may be readily inserted into the groove with the nose portions disposed to opposite `sides of the left lug |30 (as viewed in Fig. 9). When so positioned, there maybe inserted between the inner nose |4| of the pawl and the opposite lus a spring |40 for normally urging the pawl outwardly of the groove, whereupon the outer nose |30 will engage suitable teeth |43 formed on the inner face of the flange |00 and establish a driving connection ,between the driven member |20 and the numeral wheel. o l

With this construction, the pawl I|33\may be located to project from either side of the groove, depending upon the direction in which the wheel is to be rotated. In order to maintain the reset pawl |24 within the recess' ||0 and the driving pawls |30 within the grooves, there is also mounted on the hub intermediate of the driven member and the numeral wheel a dividing disk |42.

The face of' the driven member |28 also includes the recesses 52 for receiving the laterally extending lugs 00 of the hub 50, whereby when the latter is operated the driven member will .be rotated simultaneously therewith and the pawls |38 causel simultaneous rotation of the wheel member |03 of lowest order; In order to transfer the rotation from a wheel of lower order to a wheel of higher order, there is arranged between each successive pair of wheels a transfer pinion |44 mounted on shaft 94. The pinion |44 isof usualconstruction having alternate long and short teeth cooperating with the locking disk ||0 and two tooth gear ||4 of a wheel of lower order and twenty tooth gear of the wheel of next higher order to perform transfer operations common .to this type of counters.

Inforder to cooperate with the reset pawl |24 of the numeral wheels, the reset shaft |4 is pro-v vided with a V-shaped notch |46 whereby when the reset shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction the end of VVthe pawl will be urgedinto the notch, and thereafter the numeral wheel will rotate with the shaft and relative to the driven member |20. To conveniently accomplish resetting, the reset shaft extends through the right vertical leg 26 of the casing and carries on its outer end a -suitable manual control knob Although the counter has been shown as utilizing wheels which may be reset, it is obvious that the drive means could be readily utilized with any type of counter wheels, and, also, that the counter could utilize any number of numeral wheels, depending upon the total registration ultimately desired.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of thisinvention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a. limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language u'sed in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specic features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter ratchet wheel mounted adjacent said first ratchet wheel and freely movable relative thereto, said second ratchet wheel havin-g teeth alignable with the teeth of said first ratchet wheel and provided with cammed inclines extending from the base of one tooth upwardly to the top of the next tooth and alignable with the recesses of said rst ratchet wheel, means for oscillating said pawl to simultaneously advance both of said ratchet Wheels in a counting direction, and means for restraining both of said ratchet wheels against movement in a non-counting direction, whereby upon reverse oscillation of the pawl the camming incline of the second ratchet wheel will release the pawl out of the recess of the first ratchet wheel.

2. In a counter, a numeral wheel, a ratchet drive therefor, said drive means including one ratchet wheel connected to the numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith and a second ratchet wheel freely movable relative to said first ratchet wheel, a drive pawl for engaging both said ratchet wheels, interengaging means on said first ratchet Wheel and said drive pawl for interlocking when said ratchet wheel is operated in a counting direction, and means on said second ratchet wheel cooperating with said pawl for releasing said interlocking parts when the pawl is operated in a reverse direction, and means restraining movement of said ratchet wheels in a reverse direction upon reverse movement of the pawl.

3. In a counter, a shaft, a numeral wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft, a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft and connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith, a second ratchet wheel rotatable relative to said shaft and said rst ratchet wheel, a drive pawl for engaging both said ratchet wheels, interengaging means on said first ratchet Wheel and said drive pawl for interlocking when said ratchet wheel is operated in a counting direction, whereby said numeral Wheel cannot be overthrown, and

- means on said second ratchet Wheel cooperating with said pawl for releasing said interengaging means when the pawl is operated in a reverse direction.

l 4. In a counter, a numeral wheel, drive means therefor including a ratchet wheel connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith, said ratchet wheel being provided with square cut teeth spaced by square recesses, a second ratchet wheel positioned adjacent said first ratchet wheel and freely rotatable relative to said first ratchet wheel, said second ratchet wheel being provided with square cut teeth and cammed inclines leading from the base of one tooth upwardly to the top of the next successive tooth, means normally holding said ratchet wheels with thesquare cut teeth in alignment whereby the inclines of the second ratchet wheel will be aligned with the spaced square recesses of the first ratchet wheel, a driving pawl, said driving pawl being provided with a square cut tooth engaging both of said ratchet wheels, and mean's for oscillating said driving pawl.

5. In a countery a numeral wheel, drive means therefor comprising a ratchet wheel connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith, said ratchet wheel having circumferentially spaced recesses provided with substantially radially disposed leading and trailing edges, a pawl mounted for oscillatory movement generally tangentially of said ratchet wheel and for pivotal movement generally radially thereof, said pawl having a tooth adapted to successively engage in said recesses upon oscillation of said pawl, said tooth having generally radially extending forward and rear edges adapted to respectively interlock with the leading and trailing edges of the notches, means for oscillating said pawl, means for restraining said ratchet wheel against movement when said pawl is moved in a noncounting direction, and means for pivotally mov- `ing said pawl outwardly of said ratchet Wheel to release the tooth thereof from said recesses after each oscillatory movement 'of said pawl in a driving direction.

6. In a. counter, a numeral wheel, a ratchet wheel connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith and having notches, an oscillatory and pivotal pawl having a tooth engageable in4 said notches, said notches and pawl being generally square-cut for preventing overthrow of said wheels when the same are operated in a counting direction, drive means for oscillating said pawl to advance said wheels with a step by step movement, and means for moving the pawl outwardly to release the tooth thereof from the notches of the ratchet wheel after each completion of an oscillation of the pawl in a driving direction.

7. In a counter, a numeral wheela rst ratchet wheel connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith, said ratchet wheel having circumferentially spaced recesses provided with substantially radially disposed leading and trailing edges, a second ratchet wheel mounted adjacent said first ratchet wheel and freely rotatable relative thereto, said second ratchet wheel having circumferentially spaced recesses each provided with a substantially radially disposed leading edge and an outwardly and rearwardly inclined trailing edge, a pawl mounted for oscillatory movement generally tangentially of saidratchet wheels and for pivotal movement generally radially thereof, said pawl having a tooth engageable in the recesses of both of said ratchet wheels and 4provided with generally radially extending leading and trailing edges, means for oscillating said pawl, and means for restraining said ratchet wheels against movement when said ,pawl is moved in a non-counting direction.

8. In a counter, a numeral wheel, drive means therefor including a ratchet wheel connected to said numeral wheel so as to rotate therewith, said ratchet Wheel having generally square cut teeth spaced by generally square recesses, a. second ratchet wheel` positioned adjacent said iirst ratchet wheel and freely rotatable relative thereto, said second ratchet wheel having notches provided with a generally radially leading edge and a rearwardly and outwardly inclined trailing edge constituting cams, a driving pawl supported for oscillatory movement and for pivotal movement, said pawl having a generally square cut tooth engageable in the notches of both of said ratchet wheels, and a pivoted non-back-up pawl having a, tooth engageable in the notches of both of said ratchet wheels.

HARVEY N. BLISS. 

